Cool News: Photonic Nanorods Might Improve Visual Information

Mon, 2011-03-14 20:49

In news from University Of California, Riverside, chemists there have developed tiny, nanoscale-size rods (nanorods) of iron oxide particles in the lab that respond to an external magnetic field by aligning themselves parallel to one another like a set of tiny flashlights turned in one direction, and displaying a brilliant color.

The report notes that applications of the technology could include high-definition pattern formation, posters, pictures, energy efficient color displays, and devices like traffic signals that routinely use a set of colors. Other potential applications are in bio- and chemical sensing as well as biomedical labeling and imaging.